Furnace reaction-chamber and method of preventing destruction thereof



F. J. IVIETZGEH.

FURNACE REACTION CHAMBER ANO METHOD OF PREVENTING DESTRUCTION THEREOF.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, I920.

Patented Dec.28,1920.

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nssreNoa ro AnanNnncrroN coNr INC.,' A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

FURNACE REACTION-CHEER AND METHOD THEREOF.

or rnNvnN'rINe nns rnuerron incense.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedtfiac, 28, 1920.,

Application filed February 6, 1920. Serial Ito. 356,733."

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FLOYD J. Mn'rzenn, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace Reaction Chambers and Methods .ofPreventing Destruction Thereof; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the "invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

llhis invention relates to furnace reaction chambers used, for example, in the fixation of nitrogen, more particularly by methods involving the heating of mixtures of alkali meta] compounds and carbon with nitrogen in the presence of a catalytic agent such as iron, whereby affurnace product containing alkali metal cyanid is obtained. Such a method as described in U; S. Patent Ne.

" 1,322,195, has been successfully operated by employing mixtures of alkali metal carbonate or oxid with coke and iron, the mixturebeing heated while nitrogen or nitrogk enous gases pass through tliereactioh chamber.

orm.oftubes,..are generally cast and are subjectto sand holes and pores, which some times, extend'through. the tube wall.. In the practice of the method, the, alkali metal carbonate, which does not combine directly with the metal, works through these sandholesto theexterior and there combines with the surface film of oxid, produced by oxygen the highly heated combustion gases em- 1 ployed in maintainin the requiredtempera ture.

gradually.

Reaction chambers of the character de- The result .0 the contact of alkali; metal carbonate with the metallic oxid' is' the lf ormation of a blister which works' back through the, tube .u'ntll ahole is formed-which ruins theapparatusvfhs nichrome tubes are relatively expensive, the loss entailed is a material factor in the cost of producing cyanid.

The object of the present invention is to' overcome the disadvantages resulting from the use of cast nichrome tubes and Il'litVG discovered a simple remedy which entirely obviates the diliiculty by closing the sand holes or other minute pores, through which the alkali metal carbonate may work its way to the exterior of the tube.

I have been enabled to accomplish the desired result applying. a plating of nickel to the interior of the tube and thereby closing the sand holes and pores in the metal. The nickel may be applied electrolytically in an expeditious and satisfactory manner and when the tube is thus internally coated, it

' may be used continuously for long periods without danger from the destructive action of the alkali metal carbonate as hereinbefore described.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of my invention in Figure tube is otherwise subjected.

Referrin to Fig. 2 the tube t tis shown in section .wit a sand hole 6, which is, of course, greatly magnified, extending through the wall- At the exterior of thetube the blister 7 is shown, eating its way through the tube as the alkali metal carbonate gradually combines with oxid on the surfaces at .the bottom of the blister. Eventually the blister will extend throu h the-wallof the tube which is then-worth ess.;' v I Y In Fig. 1, the tube 8 is shown in section with a coating 9 of nickel deposited on its.

internal surface. The coating 9--is homogeneous and continuous,- it being a com- 1, in section togetherwith ani-llustration ii" Fig. 2 of the destructive action to which the paratively simple matter to'Tobta'in such a coating by electroplating. All oftheminute I sand holes' and pores 11, which might other wise provide outlets for ,the alkali .metal thejprac 'ce'of the-nitrogen fixation method;

as described; and I. desire, therefore, to

. claimin invention broadly involving the application of'a thincontinuous. metal carbonate, are thus closed 'an'd 'the action coating the interior of tubes employed as reactionchambers in the practice of such methods.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction of the tube and in the .mode of applying the coating without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I claim:

1. A reaction chamber for high temperature methods in which the chamber is externally heated by oxidizing gases and employing a substancewhich is adapted to combine with the oxid formed on the outer surface of the chamber, said chamber having a .Wall of nichrome and an internal coating of a resistant metal applied to the inner surface of said wall and. closing the pores therein.

.2. A reaction chamber for high temperature methodsin which the chamber is externally heated by oxidizing gases and em- I laying a substance-which is adapted to combinewith the oxid formed on the outer v surface of saidchamber, said chamber hav-' ing a wall of nichrome and an internal coating of nickel applied to the inner surface of said wall and closing thepores therein.

3. A reaction chamber for high temperamamas ture methods in which the chamber is externally heated by oxidizing gases and employing a substance which is adapted to combine with the oxid formed on the outer surface of said chamber, said chamber comprising a tube of cast nichrome having a coating of nickel applied to its inner sur- 4. A, method of preventing destruction of nichrome tubes employed in carrying out high temperature reactions by externally applied heating gases and with a substance. which is adapted to combine with the oxid' formed on the outer surface of said chamformed on the outer surface of said tube,

said method comprising. the application of a coating of nickel to the inside of saidtube.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FLOYD J. METZGER. 

